


Djinjer: A Worgen's Tale

by WotcherScamp



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Gen, Gilneas, Worgen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-31
Packaged: 2017-11-22 20:27:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/613991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WotcherScamp/pseuds/WotcherScamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Djinjer, a simple redheaded farm girl aspiring to be a warrior, suffers the same fate as many Gilneans. This is the story of her life before and after she becomes a Worgen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 01

**Djinjer: A Worgen’s Tale pt.1**

Gilneas. Secluded from the rest of the world since the Second War, it is home to many who love and adore it. Growing up in such a secluded area meant that over time, its people began to relax and enjoy life--free from danger. No one was miserable. There were no exceptionally poor people and over all, everyone got along with one another. That didn’t mean families didn’t have feuds and there weren’t rumors that could hurt a person, but it did mean that everyone could often put those differences aside and enjoy their secure life.

Most children and teenagers often wonder about the outside world. They would like to travel, to break away and become free from the restrictions of the mighty Greymane Wall. But Djinjer never wondered about the outside world. She never cared to know what was out there, because she was perfectly happy within the walls of the Greymane Wall.

Djinjer took a deep breath, staring up at the clouds in the sky. What more could she ask for? Lying on the sandy shores of the beach just south of her hometown of Duskhaven, Djinjer couldn’t ask for a better afternoon. In her arms was the very love of her life. Djinjer gazed down at the brown haired girl snoozing in her arms. It was a forbidden and not-so-secret love, but a strong one all the same.

Upon visiting the city with her parents, Djinjer saw Kimberly. Of course she found her attractive, but having such a secret meant that Djinjer often saw attractive females but never acted upon her attraction. This time, however, it was different. Kimberly’s hazel eyes met her brown ones and instantly, they knew they were the same. She and Kimberly met as “friends” to most people. But after their relationship kicked off, there wasn’t much they could do to hide their feelings.

Well, there were a few things they did. For instance, she and Kimberly never kissed when anyone was around. They held hands, but that was often seen as an innocent thing between two friends. When on a date, they stayed out of the city, preferring to stay closer to her hometown. So how did their secret become less than a secret? A simple kiss witnessed by a fisherman and told to his wife, who told the baker’s wife, whom told someone else and on and on it went. Apparently, because they were both such lovely ladies, neither one was really asked about the truth, therefore their secret relationship was known about--but never confirmed.

Djinjer took another deep breath, which caught her lover's attention. Kimberly sat up, smiling down at Djinjer, but it wasn’t the happy smile Djinjer had become used to. Perhaps that was because of Djinjer’s “obsession” with becoming a warrior. Since the construction of their great wall, there was little reason for women to continue serving in the line of duty. Female soldiers were not as common as they used to…and Djinjer enjoyed the life of a warrior. Ever since she met Kimberly, more than three years ago, Kimberly did her best to talk her out of that interest and become more “lady like.” Was that the reason behind Kim’s unhappiness?

“I should be going,” Kim murmured softly. “It’ll be late by the time I get home.”

“Then let me walk with you,” Djinjer replied, sitting up with a smile.

“I don’t know,” Kimberly sighed. “What will people think if they see us walking together?”

Djinjer looked the two of them over. She was wearing a dainty, expensive looking dress that was now dirtied with sand and grass stains. Djinjer was wearing overalls that were rolled up to her knees. “They’ll think I’m walking you home.”

“Djin,” Kimberly stood up, holding her hand out to Djinjer. Djinjer gladly accepted it. “You know my family doesn’t like me being around you so much.”

“I know,” Djinjer shrugged, “But with the rumors going around, I honestly think your family will be happier if you weren’t alone in the city.”

Rumors.

No matter what they were about, they were quite powerful. How often did a rumor hurt someone or terrify them? Now, there were rumors amongst the city of a spreading curse; a curse that could kill. Never one to be swayed by rumors, Djinjer wasn’t afraid of being on her own--anywhere. And that rule was nearly a law lately; Never be alone. Always have someone beside you for safety. Even the men were required to have someone with them. But Djinjer didn’t mind, she would be quick once Kimberly was returned to her home.

Seeing she wouldn’t win this battle, Kimberly forced out another smile and continued to hold Djinjer’s hand. The two walked at a quick pace to make it back to Duskhaven, where Djinjer informed her parents of where she was going--only for them to continue their pace back to the city. Night, however, had fallen by the time they reached the silent, nearly empty city. There were sounds of life and joy in the houses they passed, which was far more comforting than complete silence.

“If you get caught,” Kimberly was standing so close to Djinjer that she often tripped, “I won’t help you.”

Djinjer chuckled softly. “Don’t worry about it. You worry too much and you’ll be more gray than Greymane himself.” But Kim didn’t chuckle. There was absolute terror in the girl’s eyes.

“You don’t hear what we do, living out in Duskhaven. More men are signing up for night patrols. There’s something out there,” and to support that fear, a howl rang through the night.

Kim literally threw herself around Djinjer, trembling as if the howl meant something more than just a howl. Djinjer actually laughed, “Get a hold of yourself, Kimberly. It’s just one of the mastiffs.”

“That’s no mastiff,” Kimberly said. “Please! Let’s hurry to my home. I don’t want to be outside any longer.”

Djinjer placed a quick kiss on Kimberly’s forehead and did just as her lover wanted to. The two of them quickly made their way through the backstreets to Kimberly’s home, where she found Kimberly’s family’s doorman standing outside with a lantern. “Welcome home, Miss Kimberly. Good evening, Miss Djinjer.” He gave a slight bow of his head and turned his attention on Kim, “Your family is inside, waiting for you.”

But before she could even take a step forward, a young man appeared in the doorway. He sighed loudly in relief and rushed forward, pulling a pale Kimberly into his arms. “I’ve been looking for you _everywhere_ in the city!” he said, followed by placing a kiss upon her lips.

Djinjer couldn’t process what she was seeing before her. The man held Kimberly in the same manner that she held her. He kissed her in the same way she kissed her. Who was this man? He turned to Djinjer, “Thank you,” he said, bowing slightly. “Kim’s father called for me when she hadn’t returned home. The Night Patrol is out looking for her at this very moment. Bastards told me I couldn’t stay out any longer. Please, come in.”

Djinjer didn’t know why she followed the two of them inside. She didn’t know why she followed them through the hallway to the main room, where Kim’s father stood near the fire place and her mother sobbed into a handkerchief. “Oh, Kimberly!” her mother bolted up, rushing over to her daughter. “We thought the worst when you didn’t come home!”

“Mother, there’s no reason to be so hysterical.”

Her father huffed irritably, ignoring Djinjer and focused on the man that stood beside her. “Zathaniel, you’ll find that my daughter enjoys tormenting us by never telling us where she’s going, how long she’ll be out. But I can assure you, she’s _always_ with that blasted Djinjer girl.”

A sudden realization seemed to wash over the man and slowly, he turned to look at her. Djinjer looked at him, wondering just what this all meant. The man before her was well-muscled, though not in the way of a warrior or a rogue. She was quite certain, just from looking at him, that this man called Zathaniel was a hunter. And after a quick look over of his fancy, near royalty clothing, Djinjer assumed he was a rich hunter at that. 

“Thank you,” he said softly. His short black hair was brushed back with not a strand misplaced. He had no facial hair, but wore a small scar on his right cheek. “Thank you for returning _my fiancée_ home to her family. I will not deny knowing the rumors of you, but I do not believe them to be true. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Her father huffed again, but ignoring him, Djinjer merely looked over Zathaniel’s shoulder at her friend. Kimberly hung her head in shame and from what she could see of her lover’s face, it had reddened from embarrassment. “The pleasure is mine,” Djinjer forced out, giving a quick bow. “I must return home, now, before the gates close.”

“Please, allow me to accompany you,” Zathaniel murmured. “I would not rest well knowing a young lady such as yourself is out on your own. These are dangerous times.”

Djinjer shook her head, “I’ll be fine. Good evening.”

“Djinjer,” but Djinjer quickly made her way out of the house. As soon as the door closed, a sob escaped from her. It didn’t take much for Djinjer to run through the city with her vision blurred. She knew the way to and from Kim’s house better than the back of her own hand. Right now, all she wanted to do was get far away from that house and far away from that Zathaniel. With each step, however, the truth of the situation sunk in deeper and deeper. Kimberly, the love of her life, was engaged to a man.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though Djinjer suffers a broken heart, she still attends her best friend's wedding where the first signs of the Cataclysm begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder: Djinjer's name IS pronounced Ginger. The name was taken on the server that I played on, but I've come to love the spelling. Just think of it as Djinni-Genie. Same word, same definition, different spelling :)

It had been an entire week since she last saw Kimberly. At first, after witnessing such a horrible lie unfold before her, Djinjer was depressed. She cried just like any girl would in that situation, but by the following morning, she knew she couldn’t just mope around. The truth of the matter was: the more she stayed still, the more she did nothing around the house, the more she thought about Kimberly and her fiancé, Zathaniel. That’s not what she wanted to focus on, so Djinjer kept herself extremely busy. She awoke before her parents and cooked them breakfast, which consisted of over cooked eggs, slightly burnt toast and undercooked has browns, but at least the bacon came out fine.

After that, she immediately joined her father out in the fields. Her parents were the owners of two very large fields. Both brought in a good amount of money and truly, they had enough to buy themselves a larger house or perhaps live in the city, but as her father always said, “We don’t need a larger house than what we have. And if we lived in the city, who could everyone rely on for delicious corn and potatoes?” Her mother also had a small garden of her own, which consisted primarily spices and herbs. Djinjer and her father were strictly forbidden to touch it.

By the time noon came around, she and the other hired workers were covered in sweat, but at least had most of the corn from the field picked. Djinjer gave a quick look at the men around her. Most of them were her father’s friends and out of the younger ones, she had been set up with most of them.

As soon as Djinjer took a step out of the cornfield, her heart felt as though it dropped into her stomach. Standing at the front door of her house was Kimberly and her fiancé. Zathaniel, who was looking out into the fields, saw her first and gave a polite wave. Djinjer sighed and wiped her face and the back of her neck with a rag. “Friend of yours?” asked one of the boys she had grown up with. Jeremaya, the one boy she was most likely to be married to when she was younger, was the closest friend she had. He was like a brother to her and knew all about her secret, which now seemed to be completely dismissed by everyone.

“Fiancé of Kim,” Djinjer bit out, finally waving back. She took a look at her shocked, blond friend, and walked over to the two.

“There she is now,” her mother said as she approached them.

Kimberly turned around, looking more beautiful and lovely than ever, but far more refined as well. Zathaniel, on the other hand, appeared much as he had the night she met him. He wore expensive clothes that were placed and creased perfectly. But as she glared up at him, she found that he smiled back with pure eyes. Instantly, even if she was angry at the situation, she became less angry with him. He had not known…or at least he didn’t seem to know that Kim was already taken.

Djinjer sighed again as Kimberly began fidgeting. “Hello, Djinjer,” Kimberly said softly. “I was wondering if I could have a bit of a private word with you?”

“Sure,” she replied, tickled that Kimberly decided to lead the way. Duskhaven had quickly become Kimberly’s second home. She even became friends with Mayor Gwen Armstead, who Djinjer had her own suspicions about.

Once they were out of hearing range, Kimberly turned around, not looking at Djinjer but looking past her. “Seems your father is fond of Zathaniel.”

“Good for him,” Djinjer snorted out.

“Look,” Kimberly turned her gaze to Djinjer and for a moment, Djinjer remembered exactly why she loved this girl. Tears sprang to her eyes, but quickly, Djinjer blinked them back. “I was going to tell you. I mean, I told you my father was inviting the young bachelors to dinner.”

“So was my father, but I’m not engaged.” Djinjer’s tone was cruel and bitter, even to her own ears.

“Zathaniel was the only one that truly seemed interested in me. He’s kind and handsome and-”

“Rich,” Djinjer finished.

Kimberly sighed, “That’s not why I’m with him and you know that. I mean, it may be a plus for my parents but not for me. I care a lot about him and I’m starting to wonder if maybe I was wrong all of these years.”

That last part hurt more than it should have. “Did you ever mean it?” Djinjer asked softly. “I might be a rough girl. I might even be a bit of a brute sometimes but…I still have a girl’s heart.”

Tears formed in Kim’s eyes. “Of course, Djinjer. I wouldn’t have said it if I hadn’t meant it.”

“Then why lie about us? About him?”

Kimberly sighed and wiped at her eyes. “It’s complicated. I didn’t think I would see much of him, but unlike the other suitors, he came to me whenever he could. Like I said, he seemed to care more about _me_ rather than _marriage_. And…” she took a deep breath and sighed loudly, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was certain whatever I was going through with Zathaniel wouldn’t last, so I didn’t bother telling you.”

Djinjer shook her head, “So that’s what you came here to say?”

Kimberly was quite for a moment. She looked past Djinjer and gave a smile and wave, then turned her hazel eyes to Djinjer’s. “We’re going to be married soon, Djinjer, and I want you there.”

Djinjer wanted to scream out, “Haven’t you caused me enough pain?!” but her mouth wouldn’t open. Her voice was trapped inside of her throat and nothing she did could free it. “Please,” Kimberly whispered. “If I have to lose you as a partner,” she never called her a ‘partner’ before, “then I’d like to keep you as my very best friend.” Kimberly was the more romantic out of the two. She always referred to Djinjer as “my love,” or “my darling,” never by “partner.” How cold and cruel the word seemed now.

“Please,” she murmured.

“ _Fine_ ,” Djinjer snapped out, spinning around to storm back to the house. As soon as she neared it, his eyes met hers again. 

“She said she would come,” Kimberly’s enthusiasm and happiness didn’t entirely mask the pain in her voice, which her fiancé seemed to pick up on.

“Is everything alright?”

Ever the quick thinker, Kimberly threw herself in her fiancé’s arms and said, “I just can’t believe this is happening. I’m so happy,” but Djinjer knew the lying tone in Kim’s voice.

Her father chuckled as he watched the couple before him. “Bout time _you_ get a beau of your own,” he directed towards her.

Djinjer meant to sigh, but withheld from doing so. Especially when Kimberly threw her arms around her neck. “I love you, Djinjer, with _all_ of my heart.”

With so many conflicting feelings running through her, Djinjer didn’t have time to react before Kimberly stepped away from her. “Well, Djinjer,” Zathaniel seemed very happy at the moment, “your father tells me you’re interested in joining the Gilnean Army?”

It was an odd subject change.

“Yes,” Djinjer murmured. “As a close-quarters warrior.”

“That’s,” he seemed to be fighting for the right word. It wasn’t often that women took up being warriors in the army, “very interesting.” She was sure he was only being polite. “I’ve been trained in swords, as well. Perhaps one day we can have a friendly duel?”

“I doubt it,” but hearing the rudeness in her voice, she quickly added, “That awful thing is my sword.”

“It’s not awful,” her father shouted as Zathaniel turned to look. The old, rusted sword was resting against the house. “I paid good money for that!”

“Yes,” Djinjer’s mother added with a chuckle, “When you were a young boy, aspiring to join the army.”

 

Djinjer couldn’t tell you what happened for the remainder of that visit. It was hard for her to focus on anything going on around her. One moment they were discussing swords and the next, it seemed as if Kim had disappeared all together. Weeks passed and Djinjer continued with her busy schedules. The change in her was noticeable to her parents, but her father brushed it off as a “rude awakening” that her friend was going to be married and Djinjer didn’t even have a beau of her own. Her mother, on the other hand, seemed to know the truth, even if she didn’t speak it.

Ignoring the world around her for several weeks, the day that she had been dreading finally arrived. Her mother got out the best dress owned in the family, which could still be called shabby compared to some of the frocks Kim wore. And because only the Mayor and herself were attending the wedding, Mayor Armstead agreed to bring Djinjer by carriage.

The Mayor looked absolutely beautiful, sitting upon her wagon. She wore a lovely lilac dress with a small, veiled top hat to match. “Enough gabbin’, you two,” she directed to Djinjer and her mother with a smile. “We’ve got a weddin’ to attend.” She patted the wooden bench beside her and quickly, Djinjer made her way to the Mayor’s side.

“Be safe!” her mother called, waving happily.

“We will,” the Mayor called back. The silence was awkward between the two of them as the horse pulled their wagon along the cobblestone road. The silence didn’t help her discomfort, especially since this was the first time she wore a dress and Djinjer _never_ wore her hair styled up as it was. With a soft sigh, Djinjer expected the rest of the ride to feel like it would last forever, which could only mean one thing: this would be a horrible day.

But the sigh didn’t go unnoticed by the Mayor, “Copper for your thoughts?”

Djinjer decided to keep it short and sweet, “Never been to a wedding before.”

“Don’t worry,” her voice was pleasant to listen to. “It’s always slow to start and when it’s over, it’s quite the breath of fresh air, but then the festivities begin and before you know it, you’re dancing on a table wearing little else besides your top hat.” Djinjer couldn’t help but stare at the Mayor in surprise. “Don’t look at me like that,” she laughed out, “It happened a very long time ago. What I mean is,” she repositioned herself slightly, “is that you’ll have fun, you’ll be happy, and you’ll feel downright silly for being so nervous about it.”

Is that how she came off? As nervous?

A glint caught her attention, and slowly, Djinjer looked down, finding a large silver musket lying behind them. “You can never be too safe these days,” the Mayor explained, obviously noticing Djinjer studying the gun. “I’ll have you know, I’ve traveled with that gun since I became Mayor…and I have yet to use it. Let’s hope it stays that way.”

“Mayor,” Djinjer suddenly remembered something. “What’s going on in the city?”

Mayor Gwen suddenly looked uncomfortable. “It’s not a…real worry… _at the moment_ ,” she said slowly and thoughtfully. “There’s no need to cause panic over something that may be remedied.”

Sensing that she wouldn’t get much else on the subject from the Mayor, Djinjer decided to hush up and enjoy the view. Djinjer always loved watching the city as she approached it. It was beautiful and there wasn’t a day in her entire life that she thought otherwise. As the Mayor rode through the city, people greeted her and others looked at Djinjer with question in their eyes. It didn’t take long to make it to the Light’s Dawn Cathedral, where they were helped down from their wagon.

“Got your head on straight?” Mayor Gwen asked. Djinjer gave a nod. “Good. Come find me when it’s all done and over with, but if ya can’t find me, just talk to Charles, the stable master.”

“Thank you,” Djinjer said and with a nod, the Mayor disappeared into the large crowd of people near the doorway.

Djinjer mimicked the Mayor, slipping into the crowd. She maneuvered around people with some difficulty and finally made it to the main room of the Cathedral. She took a seat on the very last bench, but even from here, she could spot the brunette man that helped ruin her life. He stood next to none other than Prince Liam Greymane himself. With a quick glance around the room, she found the Mayor standing beside King Genn Greymane with his wife, Queen Mia, on his arm.

Silently, she wondered why the Greymane family was present at such a minor wedding and why did Zathaniel look so relaxed standing beside the prince? Was there a connection of some sort? Djinjer bit her lip as Kim’s father came bounding down the aisle. She even slumped down, hoping not to be noticed by him. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her, not even the people that sat beside her.

As more people filled pews in the room, Djinjer couldn’t help but feel increasingly sick. And just as Mayor Gwen stated, it felt as though the wedding was taking absolutely forever to start. Finally, the room fell silent and the organist began to play. Her throat felt tight and her heart began hammering in her chest as the double doors opened. A small blonde girl walked out, spreading mixed flower petals along the floor. One young woman with dark hair walked out and immediately, Djinjer recognized her to be Tess Greymane. She was a beautiful young woman, but held absolutely none of the arrogance seen in most wealthy women.

Tears filled her eyes and this time, no matter how much she blinked, she couldn’t hold them back. Kimberly walked slowly down the aisle on her father’s arm, looking absolutely beautiful. To Djinjer, in that very moment, she was sure that there was no other woman in the entire world that was a fraction as beautiful as Kim was. Doing her best to look over the crowd of people, Djinjer watched as Kim stared into the eyes of her soon to be husband. They exchanged their vows. Kim cried. Zathaniel placed the ring on her finger…and that was that. They were now husband and wife.

Djinjer looked away, refusing to watch them share a very loving kiss. People stood, they cheered and clapped. The couple walked through the aisle, smiling and laughing…and not noticing her at all. Many people followed the two of them, and as Djinjer inched her way out of the Cathedral, she was suddenly yanked aside.

The Mayor winked at her and held Djinjer close. Of course no one would get in the way of the Greymane family, followed by dear Gwen Armstead. This, however, meant that Djinjer couldn’t slip away from the festivities unnoticed. Instead, she was brought straight to a house nearby, which was composed of one large room with a set of stairs. Tables of food lined the wall, leaving the center empty for dancing. “Didn’t think you were getting away that fast, did ya?” Armstead said quickly, and just as swift, disappeared into a large crowd again.

This left Djinjer standing in the doorway, being bumped and pushed as people flooded in. Everyone was immediately served wine or other drinks, but most stood in the empty space on the floor, congratulating the new couple, whom she couldn’t see.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to the nearest chair at the nearest table and was--like everyone else--served a large goblet of wine. She kept her eyes on the table for the most part, slowly sipping at the wine. Djinjer heard someone clear their throat, but she didn’t think anything of it. Then the person did it louder, and Djinjer slowly looked up to find the teal eyed Zathaniel smiling down at her. “I didn’t recognize you at first. And forgive me for saying, especially how improper it is, but you do look absolutely breath taking, Djinjer.”

“Th-thank you,” she stammered out as she stood up. “So do you.” She blushed, feeling like a moron for saying such a thing to him.

He chuckled. “I’m thrilled you came.” She couldn’t help but blink at him. Zathaniel seemed excited to speak to her. And just as she was going to ask if he was alright, Zathaniel took a quick look around him, snatched her hand and basically dragged her up the flight of stairs. “I have something for you,” he explained as he led her into a room half way down the hall. “Kimberly said I really shouldn’t but…” he sighed as they came to a stop and looked at her. “I just had to.” He patted a large black box, that eerily resembled a coffin. “Open it.”

“O-okay,” she took a deep breath. “You really shouldn’t have brought me up here,” she said quickly. “What will people think-” Djinjer froze as he placed finger over her lips.

“You are Kim’s dearest friend and now that we're married, you’re a friend to me as well. Open it,” he said softly, taking a step away from the box. She sighed irritably and nearly flung the top off and again, froze. This time, it felt as though she forgot to breathe. “Well?”

“I can’t accept this!” she shrieked, slamming the top back down. Within the coffin-like box was the most gorgeous sword she had even seen. “It’s not right!”

Zathaniel chuckled. “If I want to give one of my swords away, then I can do just that.”

“But it’s very improper! A new husband giving gifts to another woman, what-”

“will people think,” he said in a mock high-pitched voice. “Just take it, Djinjer. I’m already _in_ the Gilneas army. I know what it takes to get in…and I can assure you, having a sword like this will benefit you more than you’ll ever know.”

“But they give out swords.”

“To only those with weapons like your own. And even then, they’re not much better than that lawn decoration of yours.” He grinned. “Take it.”

Djinjer sighed and opened the box again. “It’s beautiful.” The sword was a shining silver, engraved with what appeared to be a family crest. The handle was gold and absolutely spotless. She wondered how dingy she would have it in a few months. With another sigh, she trailed her fingers over the hilt. “Alright,” she whispered. “Should I take it now?”

He chuckled again. “After the party. Right now, you should be enjoying yourself.”

She forced out a smile for him and nodded. “Then we better head back downstairs before people start talking.”

“You really ought to stop caring what people think or talk about. It’s enough to drive a person mad.” Without another word between the two of them, they made their way back downstairs. Djinjer took her seat again and Zathaniel returned to his position beside Kim, shooting a her a wink before turning back to his new father-in-law.

Djinjer let out a small yawn and leaned back in her chair, but immediately sprung up as something completely terrifying happened at that very moment. A rumbling ran through the house, catching the attention of everyone, yet it seemed as if no one was really sure it happened. Seeming too frightened to move, everyone stood there in silence. Perhaps they, like herself, was wondering if that really happened. Slowly, she and several others stood from their chairs, just as Kim whimpered out, “What was that?”

No one had time to answer. Djinjer let out a yelp of fear as everything began to shake violently. Immediately, people screamed out in fear, some cried, but most held each other tightly. Djinjer gasped loudly as she caught a tumbling candelabra. One man saw her action and quickly shouted out to others, whom braced what they could. Djinjer picked up on Kim’s scream, and just as she looked over her shoulder, she saw Zathaniel yanked Kimberly out of the way of a falling chandelier.

And just like that, it was all over with.

The world suddenly became quiet, save for the screaming and crying of women and some children. Terrified, Djinjer felt as though she couldn’t move. She placed the nearby candelabra upright, ignoring the hot wax that was settling upon her neck and hands.

“I want every man outside, surveying the damages--if there are any. Report any casualties, any damages, any deaths. I also want some of you to notify others--especially messengers. We need to know how the other towns are fairing! Until then,” Greymane looked around him, “I want everyone to wait in the cathedral park. I do not want the house tumbling down on anyone.”

Like everyone else, Djinjer made her way to the park. She, like some of the other women, stood at the entrance of the park, awaiting word from their men. Many women and children would join them, but still--there was no word from anyone else.

“Do you hear that?!” shrieked a woman. “That was gunfire! Why would they need guns if-”

“Shh!” Djinjer shushed the woman, straining to hear this gunfire, but she needn’t strain. The gunfire--though obviously no where near close--was loud and more than one shot. She spotted Liam Greymane on his horse, rushing across the square to the opposite side of town. It was then that Djinjer realized something was very, _very_ wrong.

Djinjer looked over her shoulder, her eyes meeting Kim’s. Just from the look on her face, Djinjer knew what Kimberly was thinking: What if Zathaniel was hurt? As if knowing Djinjer knew her worries, she rushed over to her, throwing herself in Djinjer’s arms. She sobbed loudly and hysterically…and for the first time that day, she was noticed by everyone. She expected the whispers to start. She expected for them to glare…but it seemed as if they somehow felt safer with Djinjer there, knowing her want to become a warrior. The silence of the women was quickly replaced by soft sobbing.

“Crying won’t fix anything,” said Mia Greymane as she approached Djinjer’s side. “Best to keep good thoughts, right?” Kimberly nodded against her. “Chin up, ladies. We must remain strong.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some time has passed since Kimberly and Zathaniel were married and now Djinjer is of legal age to join the Gilnean Army. With a new threat looming over Gilneas, the army is recruiting anyone and everyone.

Djinjer stared down at the note attached to the box, which held the sword Zathaniel had given her. He apologized for not being able to deliver it himself, but had become quite busy within the Gilneas Army. Whatever was going on the city could no longer be ignored nor unnoticed, as it seemed to be spreading to other parts of Gilneas. Even their small towns now had curfews and strict laws to obey. But of course, she had gotten this boxed sword and its note months ago. She wondered how everything was going inside the city…and how Kim and Zathaniel’s marriage was going. She hadn’t really spoken to either of them since their wedding.

She placed the box on her bed, which was located beneath the stairs of their house. Quietly, she made her way to the window. Even in the dark, she could see that big ugly scar. Of all the places to be damaged significantly, why did it have to be Duskhaven?

The quakes were becoming normal, but they were no where near as strong as the second one they felt--the same one that caused the earth running right alongside her house to crack and split open. After Queen Mia Greymane calmed the women, one messenger returned. Announcing the damage done to Duskhaven at the top of his voice to the King, whom sat upon his own horse in the square, Djinjer had no problem hearing the bad news. Determined to go home and see it for herself, Djinjer ran out of the park, ignoring everyone calling out to her. She made it down one alley before being forcibly stopped--though it was an accident.

Prince Liam Greymane seemed to have come out of nowhere on his horse and unfortunately, she slammed smack dab into it, sending her crashing to the damp road. Were she not so worried about her family, she was certain she would have died from shame in that moment. It wasn’t often that the Prince apologized repeatedly, then got angry at her for not being safe, only to bring her back to the park on his horse. Djinjer wasn’t worth of being spoken to by the Prince, let alone ride behind him on his horse.

She sighed softly against the cool window and slowly made her way back to bed. Djinjer quickly fell asleep. Tomorrow, she was going to Gilneas City, where she would see about joining the army. Finally, Djinjer had become of legal female age to join the army--at least for training. She would not be able to actually serve for another four to five years.

Morning came quickly. She gathered her few belongings, sheathed the sword Zathaniel had given her, and began the her trek to Gilneas City. No doubt she would be thoroughly fussed at by the guards, but Djinjer didn’t mind. It would all be worth it.

For the first time in her life, Djinjer couldn’t help but think the city looked gloomy and frightening, instead of beautiful. She carefully walked over the bridge, feeling nervous just crossing it with its many cracks and missing sidewalls. And as she walked into the city, she didn’t find the busy, active city she once knew and adored. Instead, the city was fairly empty. People peaked out of their windows from time to time, but there was hardly anyone on the streets.

Making her way to the barracks came as a bit of a shock to her, because no one really said anything to her. In fact, they didn’t ask for her information or even how old she was. She was given initiate armor and pushed towards the barracks. Finding an empty bed was harder than she would have liked, especially considering most of them were occupied by men, but spying a curtain at the back of the room, Djinjer made her way over. The other girls nodded at her as they dressed. One girl sobbed softly while another comforted her, but no one paid her much attention. Was something going on that she didn’t know about? Apparently so.

Djinjer quickly changed into her black mail armor, surprised that everything fit just right. “Nice sword,” a husky brunette said. “Most of us were given these.” She held up a dull looking sword. The blond woman sitting across from the brunette looked down at the sword resting against her bed. That one was bent and slightly rusted.

“I heard,” said an aged woman, “that they’re starting to run low on supplies.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said the sobbing girl. “We’ll never make it out of this alive. How can untrained soldiers protect their city and their people?”

“Hush up, you daft bird,” said the husky woman. “Me dad’s trained me in swords all me life. Never been interested in joinin’ the army up until now. You saw the signs. ‘Every eligible person,’ and that’s us.”

“It’s early yet,” said the aged woman. “Think I’ll go see my sister.”

“You can leave the barracks?” A man peaked his head into the curtains.

“What if we were changing?!” shouted the aged woman.

“You're not,” he chuckled.

She huffed. “You can visit the other barracks and the mess hall until 5PM. After that, we are to stay in the barracks until notified. We’re supposed to be starting patrols tonight, but who knows anymore.”

“C’mon, you lot…let’s have a look-see!” The few warrior women stood up from their beds and followed her out of the barracks. A few men followed as well. “Name’s Aubrey, by the way,” she said to the women with a smile.

“Nancy,” said the teary eyed, frightened blonde.

“Beatrice,” said the elderly woman.

“Darlene,” said another.

They all turned their eyes upon her, “Djinjer,” she said softly. Some of them nodded, the others looked away.

“There’s the mess hall,” Beatrice pointed to an old building that looked more like boarded up stables. “Mage, Rogue, Priest, Warlock, Druid, Hunter,” she said as he pointed to the selected tents. “You’ll notice anyone wearing something like _this_ ,” she motioned to their armor, “are the new people. Anyone wearing full armor and decked out with weapons,” she chuckled, “are obviously more important and higher ranked.”

They became quiet as they passed the other tents. Djinjer bit her lip as she listened to a higher ranked rogue give orders to the lower ranks. Some of the warriors, she noticed, broke off to meet up with others whom merely stood around in groups, talking quietly. As the rest of the women dispersed, Djinjer was left walking alone, looking around, and wondering what in the world was going on. What was happening in their beloved city?

Djinjer looked up at the dark clouds. What time was it? When she left, it was close to seven in the morning, but the sky was so very dark. Djinjer sighed softly and looked back towards the tents. For a moment, she was wondered if this was all part of a horrible dream. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’t good at all. But to make it all seem more like a dream, a very geared Zathaniel walked out of the hunter’s tent with a black mastiff by his side. He stopped and patted the muscled dog. How long had it really been since she last saw him?

Had it been long enough for him to grow his hair out long enough for him to wear it parted and braided? He not only sported a thick goatee, but a glare as well. Whatever kindness she had seen in his eyes was no longer anywhere to be found. At least, until he saw her. His hardened expression softened immediately. He looked her over and grinned, “Glad you’re putting that sword to good use.” She nodded, not entirely certain as to what to say to him. “I was just about to grab some lunch. Join me?”

“S-sure,” she said softly, following him closely with her head down. As soon as they entered the mess hall, Djinjer’s suspicions of it being a stable seemed to be confirmed. Though there were no more horse stalls and not a strand of hay in sight, the faint aroma of horse manure lingered. There were three very long and wide tables on the first floor and it appeared there were some tables on the second as well.

Off to the left side of the “mess hall,” there were pots and pans everywhere. Women were dashing to and fro cooking and stacking up plates, and from the small doorway, she could see teenagers washing dishing as fast as they could. She and Zathaniel got a plate and walked along the makeshift serving table. A glob of mashed potatoes was first slammed onto her plate. It horrified her to see it keep the shape of the spoon. And before she could even ask what was bubbling away in a brown sauce, a piece of meat was also put upon her plate, which somehow managed to soften the potatoes. Next were vegetables of all sorts as well as a large domed bread. Finally, a small bowl was added to her plate, which held chocolate pudding.

Dazed by the confusion of this all, Djinjer followed Zathaniel to a table and sat across from him. “So,” he grabbed up his knife and fork and began cutting the mystery meat. “How are things?”

She grabbed her fork and stared down at what looked like slop fit for pigs to eat. “Um…”

“It’s not the best,” he said, taking a bite, “but you get used to it.”

For a moment, they ate in silence. She tasted everything and though it looked terrible, Zathaniel was right. It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t _bad_ either. “What’s going on here?” she asked, taking a sip from her tankard, which she was surprised to find was delicious mead.

Zathaniel froze in mid bite. “Really?” he asked. Slowly he placed his fork down, “You don’t know? Surely…” He chuckled. “You came here to join the army…and you were just thrown into this?”

“Yes,” she answered, pulling her bread apart.

“And you really don’t know?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t be asking,” the bread was quite good, too.

“Djinjer,” he licked his lips. “The city is under attack. It’s why we’re here. The army just isn’t enough to protect our people anymore.” He sighed and returned to eating. “I don’t need to get into details. You’ll be informed tomorrow while you help with evacuations. Eat up, this stuff doesn’t stay warm forever.”

Djinjer quickly began eating her food, and even when her stomach complained of being full, she kept eating. From the sounds of it, something big was happening and how was she to be certain when she would eat again? Swallowing a large amount of vegetables, she asked, “How’s Kimberly?”

Zathaniel froze for a split second, then swallowed the food in his mouth. “You don’t know?”

“Apparently I don’t know a lot of things,” Djinjer murmured, sensing something was wrong.

He chuckled. “She’s a real piece of work,” but he wasn’t directing that toward her. He sighed, mopped up some gravy, potatoes, and a bit of meat with his bread and chucked it into his mouth. “Kim told me you didn’t care for my company, that’s why you never visited us.” A cold feeling washed over Djinjer, “She disappeared a lot and I just assumed she was visiting you. Tell me, Djinjer, did she visit you _at all_ after our wedding?” Djinjer shook her head, and Zathaniel chuckled again, but it seemed bitter.

“It didn’t seem like you to not show up _just_ because you didn’t like me, but I figured she knew you better and so I stayed away. And just as my note said, I’ve been quite busy…especially lately. I’m at least happy you received it. Well…” He shrugged, “After a couple is married, their main focus is usually children, correct?”

Djinjer’s stomach began to bubble. She hoped it was from the food she was eating and it wasn’t the sickening thought that Kim refused to have children with him. Kim always said she never wanted them. “Right,” Djinjer replied.

“Kimberly didn’t want them.” Just as she thought. But was he really the type of guy to leave his wife just for that reason? “Her parents pressured her to have one. But…” he sighed, “she couldn’t carry. When I asked her if she did something to the baby, she became hysterical and threw me out. And then,” he sighed, “everything started to fall apart. Kimberly wanted a divorce…and honestly, I should have been hurt by that. I should have been hurt by the fact that she had a new beau after a week of us being separated,” Djinjer couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “but I wasn’t. I can’t blame our marriage falling apart solely on her. I had my part in it as well.”

“How?”

“I didn’t love her.” He chuckled and picked up the small bowl of pudding. “I shouldn’t have married her. I mean, I cared a lot about her. I thought I was in love with her when her father pressured me into proposing, but then I met someone else and,” he shrugged. “I never acted on those feelings. I ignored them and focused on Kim. But I think she knew my heart never really belonged to her.”

“So…you’re divorced now?”

“Not yet. Just separated. Her parents are hoping we can fix our troubles, but I could never accept her again, not after when she’s shared our bed with her new beau. I’m giving her the house and anything she wants in it. Honestly, I just want to be free from her.”

“That’s…awful.” Djinjer poked at her pudding with her spoon. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said softly. “Besides, I learned a lot from her. You know, she told me the truth about you on our wedding night.”

Horrified, Djinjer couldn’t help but stare at him, frozen. He didn’t laugh or look angry. Instead, he smirked devilishly and said, “I _still_ don’t believe it. I mean, it’s true, I understand that. But…something’s off about you.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not,” she laughed nervously and quickly began spooning the pudding into her mouth.

He shrugged. “I have to ask a favor of you.”

“Yes?”

“Tomorrow…please see to it personally that Kim evacuates the town. I do care about her, despite everything she’s done.”

“Sure,” Djinjer smiled. She sighed softly, “Well, at least we have a little more in common.”

He grinned again, “Both been burned by the same devil of a woman.”

She meant to defend Kim….but in the moment, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Zathaniel? Before you go…”

“Yes?”

“Are you happier with the other woman?”

He shrugged again. “I wouldn’t know. I’m not with her.” She wanted to ask more, but Zathaniel stood up. “Just leave your plates here. The kids clean after us. It was good speaking with you. C’mon, Brutus.” How could she have not noticed the large dog sitting beside her? He followed Zathaniel out of the hall and with a wave, Zathaniel was gone.

Slowly, Djinjer stood up and made her way out of the dining hall. For a long time, she pined over Kimberly…and now she was suddenly grateful their relationship had ended. Djinjer would rather lose Kimberly all together than see her change for the worse. But losing Zathaniel? Even Djinjer knew that was a stupid move on Kim’s part. Zathaniel was kind and very caring. Was it possible his failed relationship with Kim changed him? Was that where the cold glare came from? Djinjer didn’t want to think about it…

 

 

 

That afternoon, while Djinjer was attempting to rest, everyone was called out of their tents in a panic. They were told to stand next to their selected Class and to listen, because what they were about to be told would matter if they wished to survive. They were told to get their weapons and be prepared to fight to the death. They were told to stick together as much as possible. Being alone meant you were vulnerable. The last thing they were told was to obey and follow all commands, as it would also increase their chances of living.

At first, she thought it was a drill. But after getting a good look at everyone around her, however, she knew that this was the real thing.

Many of the groups were paired up by commanders in a hurry. Some groups were put together by class, others were two or more of different classes. Djinjer ended up with Aubrey, which wasn’t too bad, but considering it was only the two of them while other groups had five or more, it was a bit concerning.

As if the city wasn’t gloomy enough, soft rain began pouring from the blackened clouds. “C’mon, Djinjer! Don’t just stand around lookin’ daft.”

“Coming,” Djinjer said, running to catch up to her partner. As soon as they entered the town square, Djinjer found many soldiers lined up, receiving orders from Prince Liam. The Prince, looking as dapper as ever, sat upon his horse, calling out to the soldiers before him, “Stand ready, guards!” He shouted. “We don’t know how many intruders we’re dealing with, but the Headlands are overrun and we’re cut off from the harbor towns. Expect to be outnumbered!”

She and Aubrey quickly fell into formation, their swords gripped tightly in their hands. “I want the perimeter secured and gates manned by two guards at all times. No one get in, no one gets out!” Djinjer couldn’t help but look around. None of the initiates seemed as though they should be there. Many looked worried, doubtful, and some were downright terrified. “We protected Gilneas from the Scourge. We protected Gilneas during the Northgate rebellion. We will protect Gilneas from whatever this new threat may be!” He was silent as he looked at the soldiers.

“Many of you have fought before, but most of you have not. I want the _initiates_ on this side,” he motioned towards the initiates where she stood, “to begin the evacuations. _Hurry_! We do not know how much time we have left! Protect our citizens until you take your final breath!”

Djinjer stood there for a moment, not entirely certain what to do. Many of the other initiates ran in different directions, pounding on doors. “You there,” the voice of the Prince being directed towards her startled her. “Find Lieutenant Walden. He’ll give you further directions for evacuation.”

Djinjer ran in a random direction, not entirely certain where to even begin looking for this Lieutenant Walden. Around her, many of the initiates were gathering up citizens and bringing them together. “Walden!” Djinjer shouted repeatedly, in hopes that someone would perk up and reply.

“Lieutenant Walden!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Walden was last seen making his way to the gates! Look for him near the evacuation gates!” Djinjer spun around, running as fast as her legs could carry her, which didn’t feel very fast at all. Perhaps she felt slow because of the heavy armor, or maybe it was because of the panic surging through her veins. She sped around corners so fast that the often slid upon the sleek cobblestone of the roads. And finally, she took one last turn before she found the first evacuation gate.

The gate barely moved in the wind, but moved enough to make an eerie screeching sound. The other gate seemed firmly locked. Lying before it, covered in a flock of birds, was Lieutenant Walden. He hardly looked human, what with such deep claw marks disfiguring every part of him.

Djinjer gasped as her head snapped around at the sound of gunfire. There was shouting and the sound of battle coming from the square. Her heart felt as though it was about to hammer through her chest, especially after she caught a glimpse of something moving quickly in the shadows. Gripping her sword even tighter, Djinjer ran even quicker through the alleyways until she came upon the market square.

Before she could even get a good look at what was going on, Prince Liam approached her, his sword and pistol in his hands. “Did you find Walden?!”

Djinjer shook her head, “He’s dead!” Her voice sounded hysterical!

The Prince cursed, looked over his shoulder, and quickly looked back to her. “We need you out there! There are worgen everywhere! _Worgen_!” She knew the word from the countless stories her parents told her when she was younger. Never before had she truly believed in them. She hadn’t had a reason to believe in them! “My father had warned me that Archmage Arugal’s creations had run amok, but where are they coming from? Do your best to make quick work of them, soldier, and while you’re at it, make sure _all_ homes are evacuated! All civilians must join my father in the Prison District!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Your name.”

“Sir?”

“What’s your name, girl?”

“Djinjer!”

“Show those foul beasts what we Gilneans are made of, Djinjer!”

Djinjer gave him a quick salute before running further into the market square. And absolutely _no words_ could describe the horror she felt as she saw her comrades fighting face to face with beasts that belonged only in nightmares. As she locked eyes on a worgen, straight across from her, its head snapped up. It looked around at her, snorted, and let out a roar that shook her to the bones. Djinjer held her sword out, bracing herself for the attack she knew was bound to come. It roared again as it came bounding at her and Djinjer let out a roar of her own. She swung her sword, dodged its attacks and sliced through its thickened skin with ease.

It pounced on her, forcing her onto her back, but Djinjer wasn’t about to let it get the upper hand. She quickly dug her feet into its abdomen and shoved as hard as she could. The worgen went soaring, and quickly, Djinjer got to her feet. As soon as it hopped back onto its hind legs, Djinjer charged it, attacking it even faster and more ferocious than before. Finally, she drove her sword deep into its chest and just as quickly, removed it. As the worgen fell to the ground, Djinjer realized something: this was what she was born for.

Djinjer continued in the direction she was originally heading in, when she came to another stop. With her back to the wooden merchant booths and holding a grand rapier, was Mayor Gwen. Djinjer ran up to her beloved Mayor, which nearly ended with her eye getting stabbed out. “Sorry,” Mayor Gwen breathed out. “I don’t even know how to use this weapon…but I reckon if I stand here looking menacing, the worgen might go somewhere else. And if they don’t, then I’ll die fighting them!”

“Mayor, please! You should go to the Prison District! King Genn is there…he’ll be able to protect you and the others.”

“No, Djinjer! I won’t go until I know everyone is safe! There are still people in those houses! I already have other initiates collecting supplies before they’re destroyed. You have to save those citizens before worrying about me! Now _go_!”

Djinjer didn’t want to leave her Mayor behind, but with a firm look and a whack to Djinjer’s thigh with the rapier, the Mayor sent her on her way. Djinjer pounded on the doors of the near by homes and nearly every time, a citizen would peak through their curtains, then come bounding for the doors. “Get to the Prison District!” she would shout, and sometimes passing initiates would gather up the citizens. Other times, citizens would merely cover their heads and run as fast as they could.

But they were too late. _She_ was too late. Some of the doors to the houses were adorned with deep grooves made from the extremely sharp claws of the worgen. What she found in them made her stomach churn, and twice, she was able to ensue her vengeance. All the while, however, Djinjer was making her way to one house in particular, and with each minute that passed without her being at that house, she felt even more terrified.

Her heart pounding in her ears, her muscles already sore, Djinjer finally approached the house she was looking for. From the looks of it, it appeared untouched. She turned the large doorknob and pushed open the door. Everything was dark. “Kimberly!” she shouted. “It’s me, Djinjer!” But she could only hear the sounds of the battle taking place. Everything looked so very different, now that the room wasn’t essentially empty, as it had been for Zathaniel and Kim’s wedding.

Djinjer quickly made her way up stairs, calling out her ex-lover’s name again. She listened, but didn’t hear a sound. “Kimberly!” she shouted again, her panic steadily increasing. As she continued walking down the hallway of the second floor, an incredible stench caught her attention. She stopped outside of double doors and immediately, her heart sank. Deep grooves covered the doors…and though she hadn’t really saw where Zathaniel had taken her, she knew these doors.

Djinjer pushed them open. It was Zathaniel’s personal armory. The dying fire barely lit the room, but she didn’t need a lot of light to see the blood splattered walls or the glistening, bloodied floor. She didn’t even need to look at the two bodies that the worgen was hunched over to know it was Kimberly’s parents. “Djin…jer,” said a soft whisper. Something painful seemed to rush through her chest and all she could do to release that painful feeling was scream. Tears blurred her vision as she swung and stabbed, until the worgen landed heavily on the floor with a groan.

Djinjer dropped her sword, stumbling over to the one person that she loved most. She scooped her ex-lover’s body into her arms, surveying the wounds. Kimberly kept her hands over her abdomen to keep her entrails from seeping out of her. “I’m sorry,” Kimberly whispered. “I’m so sorry. He…turned into that beast. Tell Zath…I’m sorry…”

Gasping, Djinjer slowly placed Kimberly back down. She shook her head, tears blurring her vision again. She couldn’t stop herself from shaking. She couldn’t accept this. Every special moment of their relationship ran through her mind: the first time their eyes met, the first time they held hands, their first kiss. She could see Kimberly running through the shallow waters of the beach, her hair being blown in every direction. Kimberly threw herself at Djinjer, placing a loving kiss upon her lips. “I love you, Djinjer! I always will. Forever and always!”

Djinjer slammed her fists on the bloody floor as tears streamed down her face. “KIMBERLY!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle in Gilneas continues as Djinjer and a few companions attempt to rescue Mr. Crowley.

It was hard to focus on anything as she finally stumbled out of the house. A surging hatred filled Djinjer as she eyed the beasts around her. Every single one of them were engaged in combat with at least _two_ soldiers. Initiates dashed between the fights with citizens either in their arms or following them closely. “Djinjer!” she heard her name being called from a distance.

“Djinjer!” Pushing citizens to follow a brute of a warrior and what looked like a priest, Beatrice turned around, rising up onto her tiptoes. She waved both of her arms in the air. “Djinjer!”

It was hard to move…to leave Kimberly and her parents behind. But what could she do? Protect three dead bodies while living people were in danger? She didn’t know what pushed her to run over to Beatrice, but she was grateful when she did. Beatrice spoke quickly, “All initiates have Royal Orders to head to the Military District and check in with Gwen Armstead once we cross the bridge. Prince Liam is going to stay behind with the soldiers. We have to hurry, Djinjer.”

Djinjer only nodded, and the two of them continued along the same path as the warrior, priest, and few citizens. “There they are,” Beatrice said as they quickly made their way down the steps leading to the bridge. As soon as they crossed it, the Mayor turned around, sighing in relief. She first approached the warrior and priest, telling them, “The King’s men will protect us. We’re almost there now. Djinjer…tell me that’s not your blood.”

“No, Mayor,” she replied softly.

“Good.” She cleared her throat. “Most of us made it here alive…but there are worgen here on this side of the city as well. We’re going to continue heading south once everyone is accounted for…there’s another group on the way. Also, the three of you should seek out your class advisors: Cleese, Sister Almyra.” She turned to the other initiates, “Seek out your advisors,” she said to new arrivals as well.

“Never met Cleese,” Djinjer said quietly.

“He’s a distinguished warrior. Just follow me,” Beatrice said as she moved forward. Though the initiates walked together, they walked quickly--with their weapons drawn and readied.

They came upon a small group of soldiers, some already had initiates around them, and with a glance over her shoulder, she saw even more initiates on their way. “Ready your swords!” Beatrice called out, pointing to their Sergeant. Other initiates fought off what worgen they could, but most didn’t even seem to know how to swing a sword. Djinjer suddenly felt renewed strength in watching her comrades fight. These people, as untrained as they were, were fighting with everything they could.

Even the tearful blonde was fighting, although she probably would have done more damage with a chair than that sword. Djinjer realized that now was not the time to mourn. Now was the time to fight and protect those whom were lucky enough to live! Charging into the mayhem with Beatrice and the other warrior, the three of them made the worgen here outnumbered. If you asked her how they had managed to slay all of the worgen, Djinjer couldn’t tell you. It was all a blur. Swords swinging in every direction, dodging swiping, clawed hands and teeth sharp enough to make daggers.

“We don’t have much time,” the Sergeant said. “They come in waves, initiates. I’m glad you’re all alive,” he said, eying them. “I must have done something right if most of you made it back alive. Unfortunately, not everyone has…and not everyone will make it back.” His eyes fell upon Djinjer. “I haven’t seen you before, but I’ve seen that sword. House of Gilneau?”

Djinjer blanched. “It was a gift from-”

“Zathaniel,” the Sergeant sighed as he shook his head. “Boy needs to keep his heirlooms closer.” He cleared his throat. “What’s your name, girl?”

“Djinjer,” she replied.

“I may not have trained you, but your skill is admirable. Now, however,” he said a bit louder, looking out around him, “it’s time you all learn another skill. These worgen are not so bad if _you_ get the upper hand. Let me demonstrate. Djinjer, brace yourself.” Djinjer barely had time to plant her feet into the ground when the Sergeant slammed into her. “ _Always_ hold your sword at your opposite side. When you make contact, you will go through with an upwards, backwards swing. Understand?” Didn’t seem many of them did. “Look, the worgen knew we needed practice dummies. Ready yourself!”

Though four worgen hopped down from the rooftops, the Sergeant charged them just as he had charged Djinjer, only he demonstrated exactly how to use the skill with the sword. It was simple enough, or so she thought. Four worgen weren’t enough for the initiates there, and many of them ended up hitting the same one at the same time. Djinjer’s arm had gotten pinned by that large warrior, sending her shoulder slamming into the mouth of the worgen. Luckily, it didn’t damage her.

With their chance to learn essentially ruined, Djinjer and the others continued to attack normally, though their Sergeant seemed to get a good laugh out of it. “Now try out this technique on the worgen as you make your way south to the King. Our civilians need safe passage!”

Djinjer and the others did as they were told, but were also joined by other classes. Together, the worgen didn’t seem to stand a chance.

Many soldiers stood behind a grayed man on his pale white horse. Another man, whom Djinjer didn’t quite recognize, also sat upon a horse, speaking closely with the King. As they approached, the King turn his attention on all of them. “You’ve all done well in coming here,” the King said to them. “If we Gilneans stick together, we might just defeat this terrible enemy! Your next task may raise questions and doubt within my judgment, but I beseech every single one of you to follow my command.”

He moved his horse around to face them head on, “You,” a priest was pointed at, “you,” so was a hunter, “and _you_.” Djinjer’s heart dropped into her stomach. “Step forward. The rest of you--join the other soldiers in battle. Do your best to _stick together_ and help one another! The worgen are flooding in!” The initiates ran past them into the open court before them, joining the other soldiers in fighting off the worgen. Djinjer’s heart went out to them. There were so many of the enemy!

“The three of you will listen to me very closely,” this caught Djinjer’s attention, “Lord Darius Crowley has been called many things: Rebel, traitor, terrorist. Before the civil war, I called him…friend. I never blamed him for leading an insurrection against me. His land and people were separated from Gilneas by a stone wall…but we had no choice.” He gave each of them a hard look before continuing, “Regardless…. Crowley is exactly the type of person we need now. I want the three of you to enter the Stoneward Prison and ask Captain Broderick about Crowley’s whereabouts. I’d send my own men, but I fear there’s still bad blood.”

The other man scoffed, “We ought to leave Crowley in prison with those beasts.”

“Godfrey,” the King glared at the other man.

“Fine by me if King Greymane wants you to risk your life to rescue a known traitor. But do _Lord_ Godfrey a favor while you’re out there and kill these cursed fleabags.” Djinjer gave her own glare to the other man, but together the three of them made their way through the mayhem of the battle going on just outside of the prison.

“This way!” the male priest called out.

The hunter pushed past her to get to the door quickly, which meant it was her backside that was vulnerable to attack. She couldn’t blame him for his action. She _was_ , after all, the only one wearing mail. “King Greymane wishes to know the whereabouts of Lord Crowley!” said the priest loudly.

“What?!” Captain Broderick was standing upon the stairs of the tower, his sword and shield in hand. “Greymane wants to save Crowley? Has he gone mad?!” But before either of them could actually think of answering, the Captain added in, “I don’t understand why the king wants to waste time saving his hide, but if you want to risk your life, then be my guest.” He moved aside on the stairs and said, “Crowley and his men are holed up upstairs, probably plotting against the king as we speak!”

“Thank you,” the priest said as the three of them quickly made their way up the spiraling stairs. “Where _are_ they?” she heard him say loudly.

“How about moving aside so we can get through!” the hunter snapped out. With an irritated sigh, the priest moved, allowing them to reach the rooftop. “You honestly couldn’t see them?” the hunter said pointing to the right. Djinjer looked out in the direction he pointed. It was hard even for her to see the men through the tall and thick steel gates. Instead of the priest leading the way, the hunter took off at a medium paced jog.

Darius Crowley, or who she expected was Darius Crowley, was standing completely shirtless in front of a collapsed man. Another was knelt down beside him while the final had a piece of wood in his hand with bloodied nails sticking out of it. Not far from them were dead worgen, but it almost appeared as though they died at the feet of Darius Crowley and kicked against the opposite wall.

Before they could say anything, Crowley called out to them, “One of those mangy fleabags got Dempsey real good. We cannot move him until we stabilize his bleeding. Give us a hand holding back these mongrels. A couple of minutes is all we need, brothers!” Djinjer didn’t have time to be insulted.

The hunter grabbed her by the back of her neck, forcing her to bend over as he shot a worgen that was a short distance behind her. When she stood up, Crowley gave her a look that plainly said, “What the hell are you doing here?” followed by a grin that made her feel as if she was standing there naked. “Tobias! There’s more coming from the north!”

Ignoring the obvious belief that she didn’t belong there, Djinjer turned her back to the men, preparing for whatever she would face…which was more than she thought she would go up against, that’s for sure! At least a dozen worgen were coming in this direction and apparently, the number was around the same for the other side. Holding off over twenty worgen at a time was a bit more taxing than she first thought it would be. She had just barely missed fatal attacks, which were far too many “almosts” for her to be content with. And even though she fought nonstop since the first worgen came close to them, Djinjer couldn’t help but admire Crowley. Shirtless, with only his fists as weapons, Crowley managed to do more harm to the worgen than anyone else. It definitely brought a literal meaning to “cracking some skulls,” but once it was over with (which felt as though it took a year) Djinjer was very relieved. No one but the priest, unfortunately, was hurt.

“It’s okay,” he said. “Only a dislocated shoulder,” he murmured. Even if he held his hand over his shoulder, Djinjer could still see the blood seeping through his white robes.

“What are you three doing here?” Crowley asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

“We were sent by King Greymane to rescue you. It’s complete mayhem down there. I don’t know why, but he needs you and we don’t have much time.” The hunter shot her a glare, as if _she_ was the one slowing them down.

“Listen, you three. For the first time since the civil war, I agree with Greymane. Now is the time to put aside our quarrel, because he could my help and my men. It sure doesn't look like these beasts care much whether you're a rebel or a royal. Send word back to Greymane. My men will join his.” The hunter and priest were already on the move when Crowley directed towards her, not them, “There's a safe house not far from here. In Josiah's cellar, my lads stashed some heavy artillery. Tell our king that my arsenals are now at his disposal. Go on, girl, before you’re left behind.”

Djinjer gave him a nod and turned to join the other three, moving past them. Now was not the time to walk or feel tired, regardless of how late into the night it was getting. The jogged to keep up with her, but the three of them weren’t ready to see what waited before them just outside of the prison. Many of the initiates, whom had rushed into battle, now lie dead on the ground. Their bodies were trampled upon by worgen and soldiers alike.

“Don’t stop to look,” said the Captain. “Move on, _soldiers_.”

Now feeling the surge of adrenaline pumping through their veins, the three of them stepped out into the court. It was truly up to Djinjer to get both of them back to the king. Sure, a ranged weapon was nice, but it didn’t exactly help when a worgen charged them faster than the hunter could pull the trigger. Djinjer shoved her foot into the worgen’s chest, kicking it away from them. “Get back to the king!” she shouted. “I’ll catch up!”

“I won’t leave you alone!” the hunter shouted, firing his gun beside her. “Remember what the king told us! Stick together! We’re stronger together than apart!”

It was hard to hold a grudge against him after that. Together, they worked their way through three more worgen before reaching the king again. Unfortunately, while the other two reported to the King, she managed to get approached by Lord Godfrey. “If I hadn’t seen you kill a few of those mangy things with my own eyes, I’d think you did not complete the task I asked of you. Very well,” he said, sounding almost disappointed. “It looks as if we’re barely putting a dent in their numbers.”

With Lord Godfrey falling silent, Djinjer approached the king, but not before noticing the priest limping way to Sister Almyra. “It’s unnerving that artillery was smuggled inside of the city by enemies, yet it might end up saving Gilnean lives today. The building Crowley speaks of is just west of here, owned by Josiah Avery. We will put the weapons to good use.”

The hunter nodded at her, and together they headed west. “How are we to find this building?” he asked. “There are many with cellars.”

“Hush,” she said softly. “Do you hear that?” Though the town was eerily quiet at the moment, Djinjer could make out the sounds of a man’s muffled yells.

“It’s coming from over there,” the hunter whispered. Gun and sword ready, both of them made their way around a house, finding exactly what they were looking for: a cellar. “You go in,” he said, “I’ll stand guard outside.”

“Alright,” she said softly, grabbing onto the doors’ handles. As soon as she opened the cellar doors, she heard murmuring from within. “I think this is the one.”

“Good,” said the hunter, turning his back to her. Djinjer didn’t waste anymore time heading into the cellar. But as soon as she entered it, she couldn’t help but wonder how all of this could have been smuggled into the city unnoticed. The room was filled with cannons and their respective ammunition. There were boxes stacked up in the furthest corner with “EXPLOSIVES” written all over them and just opposite of them was whom she suspected was Josiah Avery.

“My face,” he murmured, “What’s wrong with my face!” He trembled violently. “I can’t fight it.”

Djinjer slowly approached the man, “Josiah?”

“Don’t look at me! Leave me alone!” he pulled away from her, inching himself further into the corner. “My hands,” he whimpered, “Don’t look at my hands.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder. Djinjer immediately regretted it. It felt as if something was moving beneath his skin and just as she took a step back, the man threw himself onto his tiptoes, “The pain is unbearable!” he roared out, and suddenly, there was no longer a man standing there.

Djinjer let out a scream as he slashed at her, knocking her to the ground. She looked into his crazed eyes, not seeing an ounce of human left in this beast. With a growl, the worgen lurched at her. With a single, echoing shot, the worgen fell backwards, slamming into the very wall that he had been cowering against. “Good shot, hunter,” Djinjer breathed out.

“I’m no hunter,” said a very feminine voice.

Djinjer quickly got to her feet, but stumbled until she slammed into the other wall. “Here,” the brunette woman walked forward, handing her a handkerchief. “You’re bleeding.”

Djinjer didn’t need to ask where. The wound was stinging where his claws had sunk into her flesh. She held the pink handkerchief to the crook of her neck and shoulder, meeting the ashamed gaze of her partner. “She heard us outside,” he began to explain. “I didn’t know you were in danger.”

“He turned into one of them…didn’t he?” the woman asked as she nudged the body with her foot. “How do we even begin to fight an enemy that can do this to us?” She sighed and turned her hazel eyes upon Djinjer. “Name’s Lorna Crowley. My father’s arsenal is certainly a good start in winning this war, I suppose.”

She then turned her eyes upon the hunter, “We’re going to need to clear the way ahead if we’re going to move these canons above ground. Where’s your mastiff?”

For the first time ever, it occurred to her that the hunter _was_ missing his faithful companion…and since she first lay eyes upon him, she saw a young boy, not yet a man, tear up. “I lost him in the first fight,” he said softly, his voice wavering. “There was nothing I could do.”

Lorna walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I want both of you to take one of the mastiff’s outside. Keep them close. Worgen are hiding in the alleyways ahead. It’s almost as if they’re always one step ahead of us. My mastiff’s are larger than the others. Some hunters left their companions with me, for protection.”

Lorna, Djinjer thought, was an odd woman. First of all, the woman was far too calm for Djinjer’s likes…but considering who her father was…

Still, wearing an expensive dress, her hair in curls with a red rose adorning it, she was the last person you’d expect carrying around a rifle. Lorna looked over her shoulder, “Are you well enough to return to battle?” Djinjer removed the handkerchief. “Good. The bleeding has already stopped. Get out there, soldier.”

Djinjer pushed off of the wall and immediately, the world began spinning. She blinked and shook her head, which straightened her vision. She and the hunter walked up the wooden steps outside of the alley and sure enough, there was a large group of mastiffs waiting. There were only two that were much larger than the others, both were a different shade of brown, but there was one that sat still, staring at her. Despite sitting still, his tail wagged uncontrollably. She turned away from him, but a whine made her look back at him. The dog had inched forward and let out a sneeze, as if begging her to choose him.

“Come, girl,” the hunter patted his knee and the large light brown mastiff joined his side. Djinjer turned to the other brown one, which looked at her as if she were some sort of stupid creature irritating him. Again, the black mastiff inched forward, letting out another sneeze. “I think that one likes you.”

“But you heard her, these two are hers. I’d hate to take a hunter’s pet-”

“Just take him,” the hunter said. “We’ll return once the alley is cleared.”

Djinjer nodded. “Come, b-” the dog ran up to her, pouncing on her, which in her current state wasn’t the best thing to do. The hunter laughed but said nothing…and as Djinjer looked at the dog, she saw it’s name engraved upon the golden tag. “Brutus,” she whispered. Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she _knew_ she had to push forward.

They walked together in silence, but it was apparent the hunter was in his element. She took a page out of his book and withdrew her weapon, following him closely. It wasn’t a secret that Djinjer was awful at tracking anything. “You smell it, girl?” he said to the dog. As if replying, the dog let out a whine, as did Brutus. “Get it!” he shouted.

The dogs rushed forward to the corner, where Djinjer saw absolutely nothing. But out of the darkness jumped a worgen, clear over the mastiffs. The hunter, who she realized was still nameless to her, took aim and fired _twice_ before the mastiffs attached themselves upon the heels of the worgen. Djinjer took this as her queue and charged the worgen, finishing him off. “Behind you!” the hunter called and Djinjer spun around, swinging her sword. She sliced the worgen’s hands and just that wound caused the worgen to stall enough for the hunter to fire.

Her stomach churned as the brains of the worgen splattered against the opposite wall, but she didn’t have time to focus on that. The mastiffs were attacking another worgen, which the hunter had already begun to shoot at. Instead of attacking the dogs or even the hunter, it launched itself at her. Though its claws didn’t make contact with her, it slammed its hand hard against the side of her head. She crashed to the road, but immediately recovered, jabbing her sword upwards into the abdomen of the worgen. “We’re being surrounded!” the hunter shouted.

A whistle rang through the night, which caught the black mastiff’s attention. “Brutus!” Djinjer shouted, but the dog had already vanished around the corner they had just turned.

The other mastiff jumped clear over her, throwing itself into another dark corner. Djinjer saw their eyes before the worgen appeared. It batted aside the dog and with a click, panic suddenly filled the air. “I’m…I’m out of bullets,” the hunter whimpered. “There’s _three_ of them!”

Djinjer got to her feet, gripping her sword. She cast a glance at her partner, who suddenly appeared less confident, clutching the axe that hadn’t moved from his back since she met him. “Just swing blindly if you don’t know how to use that thing,” she said to him. The three of them started sniffing in her direction, but after a moment, their eyes all moved to the hunter, whom paled and dropped his axe. “No!” Djinjer shouted. All three worgen suddenly dashed towards the hunter and she had no other choice but to push her body to its very limits. She slammed into the hunter, sending the three worgen skidding on all fours.

“Stay behind me!” she shouted at the hunter, whom quickly took refuge behind a stone well. No longer concerned with sniffing her, the largest of the three took no time at all in attacking her. It was going well, until the second one joined in. The third seemed to be calculating if it could get to the hunter before she would notice what it was up to. Looking at that worgen proved to be a very bad decision. She heard the clang of her sword hitting the nearby building before she processed what had happened. Her sword had been knocked out of her hand.

The first natural reaction was to panic, but the second natural reaction…was to react. Mimicking Darius Crowley, Djinjer slammed her fist into the worgen that launched itself at her. It stumbled backwards, shaking his head and unfortunately, something inside Djinjer changed. The world began spinning again. Were there three worgen or six? Why did she feel so _hot_?! The other worgen batted her, much like the first had, but this time, when Djinjer slammed into the road, she knew she wouldn’t be getting up. She knew if she couldn’t get her hands on her sword, she and the hunter were done for and at the moment, no matter how much she blinked, she just couldn’t see her sword.


End file.
